After a long career in the travel industry working in the tour operator, retail agency in addition to the corporate sector, I now write about various aspects of travel.
Salt Lake City to Jackson Hole
Salt Lake City’s Temple is covered in scaffolding when we visit, undergoing a four-year renovation scheduled to finish in 2026, so no doubt many other tourists will be disappointed as well by not getting the full visual impact in this magnificent square. I guess it’s a metaphor for ‘work in progress’ for both the building and the Mormon Church.… Continue reading “From Grand Mormons to Grand Tetons”
A Road Trip Through Southern Italy
Naples isn’t necessarily the airport of choice when deciding on a road trip through Puglia. Bari or Brindisi are somewhat more convenient, but there was method in my madness. Renting a car one way from east to west is just too expensive, and anyway we hadn’t seen Naples in a while. After driving a couple of thousand kilometres round Puglia, we wanted to end up with four days of peace and quiet on the island of Ischia.… Continue reading “Appointment with Puglia”
Arriving at the Grand Canyon is like no other arrival. When I was first here in 1991 we jumped on a helicopter – I must have had money in those days – and set off about hundred feet above the trees of the Kaibab National Forest. I thought it would easy to the see the Canyon once we were airborne, but the fascination of skimming the tree-tops left me totally unprepared for the sudden lack of tops, never mind trees, being replaced by a huge chasm of nothingness.… Continue reading “Grand Canyon to Salt Lake City”
Sedona to Grand Canyon
We’d hardly left our accommodation in Sedona before we stop at Firecreek Coffee house for sustenance. Out on the deck I meet 77 year-old Joseph, kitted out in his cowboy trench-coat, leather hat and walking rod, even though it’s already sweltering. He looks out of place in a coffee shop but is obviously a regular which makes for an interesting conversation.… Continue reading “Sedona, AZ to Grand Canyon AZ.”
Durango, CO to Sedona, AZ via Monument Valley – 135 miles
The previous night had been a late one – that’s if you call 1130pm late in Durango. We’d managed to grab the last two seats in the bar at the Strater Hotel just as a local Country and Western band took to the stage. I say stage, but it was more like a raised pallet, just enough to give some height to the musicians so those at the back of the room who weren’t paying attention, could hopefully see them perform. … Continue reading “Durango, CO to Sedona, AZ”
It’s early morning and we’re preparing to head south, up into the mountains to tackle the Million Dollar Highway. Classed as one of America’s most spectacular roads, there are a few theories as to where the name for the highway came from. It could be to do with the views, or locals used to joke that they would only attempt it if paid a million dollars to do so.… Continue reading “Ouray, Co to Durango, Co”
You would think that the settlement of Gunnison would be relatively near the Black Canyon of the Gunnison, one of Colorado’s hidden gems, and although the Gunnison River starts from the headwaters above the town, we take over an hour to drive the 60 miles to the Black Canyon National Park. Its location deters most tourists, or as one wag suggested, who wants to drive five hours from Denver to look at a hole in the ground, which is a bit mean-spirited to talk about poor old Black Canyon like that.… Continue reading “Gunnison, Co to Ouray, Co”
The fun starts at the Avis desk at Denver Airport. The cheerful lady behind the desk lobs car keys in my direction a little too cheerfully. I pick them up from the floor and for some unknown reason actually apologise for my incompetence at not being catcher of the year.
I head off to find our car and seconds later I’m back at the desk.… Continue reading “Denver, Co to Gunnison, Co”
Melbourne to Adelaide – 1 Koala, 2 Kangaroos, 3 Muffins and 1,000 kms in 17 hrs
It was just an idea at first, but when my colleague told me it would take me a lot longer than I thought, it suddenly became a challenge, a bet even. My Adelaide based friend and I were attending a conference in Melbourne, and he had invited me to visit his small winery on the outskirts of Adelaide for a couple of days before my journey home.… Continue reading “Australia’s Great Ocean Road”
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